The speculation is growing. Mitt Romney is still prominently on the list, according to some, despite what appeared to be dismayingly strong anti-Mormon sentiment in parts of the conservative base. Governor Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota is young, vigorous and popular and would be a very attractive running mate; his downside is he is unknown and with all the nation has been learning about the "unknown" Barack Obama, an "unknown" might have trouble getting picked.
The New York Sun has a candidate it thinks is perfect: Independent Senator Joe Lieberman of Connecticut. Yes, he's on the wrong side of some very important core issues, but on the "transcendent challenge" of our times, dealing with Islamic imperialism, he couldn't be more solid. At a dinner the other night, Lieberman had this to say, as reported by the Sun:
Let us just say that after Sunday night's speech by Mr. Lieberman at the annual Commentary dinner, there is little doubt in our minds that the senator expelled by the Democrats two years ago in Connecticut would be a fabulous running mate for Mr. McCain. Concerns that he wouldn't appeal to the conservative base? Mr. Lieberman pointedly referred to the New York Times as "a once-great newspaper" and said that the editor of National Review, William F. Buckley Jr., had been like an "older brother" to him. He noted that Buckley had endorsed him in the campaign when he first won election to the Senate, against a left-wing Republican,Lowell Weicker.Mr. Lieberman spoke of how the Democratic Party had lost its way, from a party that was once "unhesitatingly and proudly pro-American," to one that came under the sway of a philosophy that saw America as the aggressor. "There is now more isolationist sentiment in Democratic than in Republican ranks," Mr. Lieberman said, deriding what he called the "McGovern-Carter blame-America worldview." He attacked Senator Obama, saying that the "presumptive presidential nominee," "has really not been willing to stand up to his party's left on a single significant issue this far in his campaign."
Mr. Lieberman criticized Mr. Obama's promise to meet with President Ahmadinejad and with the North Korean dictator, Kim Jong Il, saying that Kennedy never met with Castro and Reagan never met with Ayatollah Khomenei. He pointed out that while Mr. Obama is courting the Iranians and the North Koreans, he is spurning our allies, opposing free trade agreements with South Korea and Colombia, and "pledging to abandon the democratically elected government inBaghdad." He called President Bush's speech in Jerusalem that Mr. Obama so heatedly objected to "magnificent."
Something to think about.
